At some point it’s going to be more surprising if there’s a major global event that The Simpsons didn’t in some way predict or refer to years in advance.
The blockbuster deal that will see Disney acquire 20th Century Fox, confirmed a little earlier this morning, has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry as full implications of a deal that size sink in. But for anyone well-versed in The Simpsons, it’s entirely expected.
Turns out the Springfieldian series called a Disney-owned Fox way back in 1998, in the tenth season episode When You Dish Upon A Star.
That episode sees Homer briefly become the personal assistant for Alec Baldwin and Kim Bassinger after falling through their skylight in a parasailing accident. Y’know, as you do.
Towards the end of the episode, the show smash cuts through a one month time jump to a scene featuring Ron Howard pitching a movie about robot driving instructor that travels back in time for some reason (his best friend, folks? It’s a talking pie).
In the establishing shot outside the studio is a giant 20th Century Fox sign which, you bloody guessed it, contains a little throwaway visual gag at the bottom.
An entirely weird coincidence, sure. But still, pretty funny, and something The Simpsons seems to have done with ridiculous regularity.
‘Course when you’ve been on the air as long as the show has, and produced that many episodes, dumb, reactionary, speculative jokes are bound to find some semblance of truth on a long enough timeline.
It’s like grabbing a fistful of darts and blindly hurling the lot at the wall. One or two of ’em are bound to hit the dartboard somewhere.
Groening, you’ve done it again.
